Double-Blind
by temporarytravesty
Summary: AU. College student, Cosima Niehaus caves to go on an outing with her only friend, Scott, to a new European-themed restaurant hosting a "(blind) dating-in-the-dark" experience. Scott expects to be paired with Cosima, only to find that she is, instead matched with clueless French Immunologist, Delphine Cormier. Cormier discovers there is more to attraction than masculine physique.


_Cosima_

Clad in a form fitting burgundy dress and Persian scarf, Cosima strolled passed by aisle after aisle of books. Both her hands were occupied, her left by a lime-green phone, and her right dancing wildly in the air, both somehow assisting her in navigating her complex train of thought.

"Hey, yeah, school is fine– working hard, in the lab mostly. You know me, Sarah." Her tone was both smooth and frantic like a boy sprinting away from a horde of bees chasing after their honey.

"Yeah, Cos, I know you. You're having fun too, yeah? You know, gettin' out, havin' a life n' shit," asked the Brit with a concerned sigh and small frown tainting her words.

"Hey, hey, hey– I AM having fun. Tons of fun. Science can't study itself, Sarah," countered Cosima with a forced laugh, her hands level with her head, palm up, facing upwards. "And I get out… I get coffee at this cozy little café… and hang out with people in– uh– uh..."

"– in the lab," completed Sarah in an uncharismatic tone, not in the least bit surprised.

"I mean, whaddaya want me to do? I don't 'really' know anyone here. Making friends takes time, time I– no– WE don't have." Cosima's free hand hung limply by her side. She was nuclear, discouraged, and dejected. She had no one who could help her or who she could go to for help; she had no one she could trust. "I know, Sarah. YOLO, right? I'm missing out on making friends and having a good time…" Sarah couldn't even remember the last time she heard Cosima laugh, feeling exponentially more concerned for her sister's wellbeing. A pause. A sigh. "… but Katja's running out of time. She's dying and I know that if I could just work harder, longer even… she could live. I could save her. I HAVE to save her, Sarah. I have to try." Her voice wavered as she reached for the chair in front of her, pulling the seat out from under its wooden counterpart, and sitting down, immediately feeling the exhaustion collapse on top of her. Her eyes were dark, a cause that was only made worse by the black cosmetic coat lining her eyes and the dark bifocals balancing on her nose.

"Oi! I hear what you're saying Cos, I really do, but I still think that one night out could do you some good." Cosima shifted in her seat uncomfortably, drumming her fingers on the desk in front of her in an attempt to control her growing emotional discomfort.

"I miss you guys." The words slipped out of Cosima's mouth before her brain could process the fact. She pursed her lips, unsure of what else to say. Sarah was never the emotional type and Cosima admired her 'bad ass' persona.

Sarah let out a breath as Cosima stared absentmindedly at the boy across from her. She easily recognized him from most of her classes. She considered him her closest friend here and she was growing fond of their dork out sessions in the lab. His hair was short, dark, and always disheveled. His glasses clung to his face awkwardly and he carried a contagious smile as he took notes from a familiar thick, green textbook. A tongue stuck out between his pearly-white buckteeth as he quickly jotted down his conclusions from their assigned bio reading.

"Cosima, we all miss you too," Sarah finally said, "Kira has been talkin' my ear off about how much she misses you and your crazy science experiments." Her confession ignited a blazing grin on Cosima's face and she couldn't help the little giggle that floated out of her chest.

Scott looked up from across the table, finally acknowledging Cosima's presence, and flashed her his signature smirk.

"Cos, how about I see what I can do, yeah? The holidays are comin' up and you can stay with Fe! Kira would love it and we could all use our smart arse around here to keep us outta trouble like old times. Sound good?"

"Sounds perf, Sarah. We'll talk more later, I have some stuff to do– homework, papers, labs– you know the deal."

"AND FUN!" Sarah masked with a cough, clearing her throat obnoxiously.

Cosima rolled her eyes and smiled, suppressing another giggle, "yeah, of course. Fun! How could I forget?"

"I dunno, you're supposed to be the brain, Cos." Cosima could hear Sarah smile before she concluded the call, "I'll see ya. Love you. Bye."

The line went dead and Cosima placed her pink phone back in her bag.

Cosima's eyes flicked back up to Scott's and traveled down to his lips, watching him grin wildly as usual. "What?" She playfully inquired.

"Oh nothing, really," Scott responded biting his lip nervously. There was a calculated silence. "So you want to do something fun?"

Cosima sighed and looked down at her tights decorated with black roses. "Yeah, I could possibly want to, maybe do something fun sometime," she drew out. "I dunno, Scottie. New place, lots to do, 'fun' is sorta on the back-burner right now."

Scott's face fell slightly which failed to go unnoticed by Cosima. "Okay, okay. So what is there to do around here for fun? Gimme something to work with," she mumbled in defeat, not wanting to disappoint her only friend.

His eyes lit up like a firecracker before adding, "W-well, there's a dinner thing on Friday night. You go and fill out this questionnaire–" Cosima's eyes furrowed, attempting to anticipate what Scott would say next, "–once you get there of course." He laughed briefly before continuing, "and then the event coordinators review your info and they pair you up with someone who shares similar interests."

She pursed her lips in thought. "Like a blind date?"

"Not really, well s-s-sorta, I m-mean, it'll be fun. You can make friends, get some great food–"

"–What kind of food?" Cosima interrupted.

"Uh, French. It's a new European restaurant. They, uh, change their menu monthly, a new country every time. It's pretty cool– so I heard, yeah, I haven't actually gone yet. I mean, it's usually pretty expensive, but since it's new and hosting this event, the food is free. It should get some good publ–"

"–FREE?" Her eyebrows traveled higher up her forehead as she licked her lips in anticipation.

Scott was caught off guard by the interruption, but he took it as a sign of encouragement and responded promptly, "yup. Totally free. Zero dollars. No charge. All free."

"I'm in," Cosima admitted willingly, the promise of free food forcing her hand.

Scott showed all of his teeth in the biggest smile Cosima had ever witnessed. "I'll sign you up. It'll be great." He began to gather his things, stuffing miscellaneous papers and his laptop in his bag before hugging his gargantuan textbooks to his chest. "I'll see you Friday at 6, Cosima." She smiled and nodded her head as he left. 

* * *

_Delphine_

Moving to the states proved to be a lonely adventure thus far, where her sole company came from the organisms she studied under microscopes and her increasingly frequent late night visits to the liquor store.

The warmth wine managed to grant her however, could never distract her from the cold sheets she met whenever she would 'wake' from her sleepless trances.

Delphine encountered countless opportunities to remedy her dilemma. She just didn't want a meaningless fling as her solution. She respected herself far too much to give her body to another out of desperation. Her feelings regarding the matter however, did not sway others from entertaining the idea themselves. She could practically watch the desire in the black eyes that would dance around her body like television re-runs, memorizing her body in vain.

She loved her position at DYAD and found herself staying in her lab late into the night. Her boss, Aldous Leekie, recruited her on a business trip to France. Delphine was thrilled to be offered a position at the infamous, groundbreaking DYAD institute. It didn't take her much thought to abandon her home, supportive family, and 'proud' boyfriend for the opportunity to change the world by being a part of Leekie's acclaimed team.

Delphine's phone vibrated in the back pocket of her jeans, drawing her attention away from the city below her. Reaching behind her and glancing at the clock on the wall beside her, she deduced who her late-night mystery caller was.

"Delphine! Bonjour! How are you?" asked Laurant jubilantly.

Smirking slightly and taking a sip of her wine, Delphine pursed her lips before responding, "Frère, it's good to hear your voice again. How is Chloe?"

There was a brief pause on the younger sibling's end before Laurant answered, "Ah, Chloe! Yes, she is good. We are very happy. Wedding plans are coming along nicely. You should visit us soon! We have already moved into the new house, oui?"

The cars flew down the streets below, playing a game of cat and mouse around the town square. The party scene was already in full swing and the thought of joining them made her buzz with nostalgia.

"Of course, Laurant. But you know I'm busy at work right now. I have far too many trials to complete and no time to spare otherwise." Delphine sighed, conflicted with the urge to see those she loved again and hide behind the confines of her new apartment. "I need to focus on this now or else I won't be able to come for the wedding, mon chére," Delphine rested her case, swishing her drink in her free hand.

"What if we visited you, bonne sœur, yes? I am sure that there is much to do in Minnesota!"

"Laurant, I told you I–"

"Sounds great, I will see you on Friday, mon chére! We will pick you up at 6pm. Wear something nice, oui? Je t'aime!"

Laurant hung up before his sister could turn down his offer, but her brother would have visited regardless. He was never easy to control… little brothers never are.

"Merde."

Delphine tilted the final contents of her glass into her mouth and walked over to the kitchen sink. Placing her glass on the counter gently, she promised herself she would wash it in the morning.

She strode down the dark hallway of her apartment to her bedroom and lifted her long, lanky arms into the air to stretch upon arriving at her destination. She shed her clothes quickly and pulled a simple nightshirt out of a drawer that reminded her of the life she left across the globe.

She winced at the thought and tucked herself into her large, empty bed. Turning off her bedside lamp with a sigh, Delphine closed her eyes and folded her body up to her chest resembling a ball. As the only warmth she had to offer herself, the tall young woman closed her eyes and tried to ignore the absence of affection her life had recently been subjected to. As much as she wanted to chastise herself for it being her undoing, she couldn't shake the thought that she made the right decision. She broke the heart of a man who devoted four years of his life to her, the same man who intended to propose upon moving to the states with Delphine and start a family.

She wished she hadn't run out of wine. The sheets beside her were unbearably cold and it pained her to realize that the temperature would not be changing anytime soon.


End file.
